Our camps at the Brick Works have a motto: as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.

That might make you raise an eyebrow, but across the country, a growing number of educators, outdoor leaders and health professionals are advocating for more risky play. Think: climbing, exploring and even learning how to build fires. 

It sounds fun (it is), but it's also really important for children's development. In our latest interview, we talked to Dr. Suzanne Beno, Medical Co-Director of the Trauma Program and Emergency Physician at SickKids. Beno recently co-authored a position statement that encourages more risky play. 

Beno has witnessed these benefits firsthand — her own two children were campers at the Brick Works in the early 2010s.

What does the evidence say? Read the story →

What do public spaces mean to the people who use them? In Voices in Public Spaces, we ask community members to share how public spaces impact their lives.

In this episode, we caught up with Janet Patterson at the Cedarvale Community Garden. Janet describes the joy of watching seeds grow into healthy plants and how much she values having public community spaces where moments like this can take root. Watch the video →

PRACTICING PLACEFULNESS. This fall marks a special anniversary. Fifteen years ago, Evergreen transformed a collection of deteriorating heritage buildings into the Brick Works, a Toronto landmark so iconic that the lone ‘valley chimney’ says it all.  

The story of the Brick Works actually begins in 1882, when the Taylor brothers bought the site to build a paper mill. But while digging fence posts, they struck something more useful: good quality clay. A brick-making plant was born. 

Bricks from this site helped build some of Toronto’s most beloved landmarks, like Casa Loma and Massey Hall. That legacy gives us a deep connection to the rest of the city. When you walk through Toronto, you’re surrounded by pieces of this place.  

Feeling a connection to place (sometimes called place attachment) is more than knowing where you are — though landmarks like the CN Tower certainly help with that. It’s about feeling rooted. A sense of connection to your home can actually improve your mental health and wellbeing. 

“Place attachment is this idea that people become attached to places in the same ways they become attached to people,” Dr. Krista Paulsen, a researcher and associate professor at Boise State University, told CNN. “Those attachments become important parts of how we organize our lives.” 

A 2010 study found that when people feel emotionally connected to their city, they tend to feel things like belonging, trust in the future and even meaning in the world.  

Working at the Brick Works, I can feel this physical intimacy between the site and the city when I explore the paths, spot wildlife in the quarry or wander through the historic kiln building. Learning about our roots feels like practicing placefulness — intentionally cultivating that emotional connection to my home.

It’s been 15 years since Evergreen completed the Brick Works revitalization. Since then, we continue to build public spaces that offer opportunities for placefulness. Places that help us plant roots, linger and learn, even if they don’t carry the same brick-by-brick history of the Brick Works. Want to support our work? See how.

🖊️ ETHAN ROTBERG, SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST | EVERGREEN

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Evergreen is a national non-profit transforming public spaces in our cities to build a healthier future for people and our planet.